Patrick Schwedler

Patrick is a trial and appellate lawyer who represents individuals and businesses in complex civil litigation, False Claims Act (FCA) litigation, government investigations, and white collar criminal defense. He is a former federal prosecutor and has tried both criminal and civil cases to verdict. Prior to his government service, Patrick spent several years representing plaintiffs and defendants in business disputes, often involving millions of dollars in controversy. While he was with the Department of Justice, Patrick was a cross-designated prosecutor that focused almost exclusively on civil and criminal fraud prosecutions. On the civil side, Patrick obtained tens of millions of dollars in settlements and judgments in FCA matters—primarily in health care and defense procurement fraud cases. He served as the Southern District of Georgia’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement coordinator, leading the district’s efforts in recovering funds that were fraudulently obtained from the government. He worked on teams that obtained record setting settlements under both the FCA and the Controlled Substances Act. Patrick also led a wide variety of white collar fraud prosecutions—including cases involving health care fraud, identity theft, pill mill operations, money laundering, mortgage fraud, student loan fraud, and various wire fraud schemes. At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Patrick was named the district’s Covid-19 Fraud Coordinator. In this role, Patrick investigated and prosecuted several multi-million-dollar fraud schemes involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. He also prosecuted cases involving the sale of non-existent medical masks, counterfeit masks, and unauthorized treatments. Patrick began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for a federal district court judge in the Southern District of Georgia (the Honorable Lisa Godbey Wood) and then for a federal appellate judge on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (the Honorable Joel F Dubina). Following his clerkships, Patrick worked as an associate at an Am Law 100 law firm and then a smaller, well-regarded litigation boutique. During this time, Patrick litigated a broad array of civil cases, including cases involving fraud, non-competes, trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference, business disputes, employment discrimination, and breaches of contract. He also obtained significant appellate experience in both state and federal courts. Patrick received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University where he graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law where he graduated summa cum laude, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and served as an executive board member of the Georgia Law Review. For his efforts at DOJ, Patrick has been recognized by various law enforcement partners, including receiving the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Award.